


Fix You

by angstydaydreams



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: 4.19, Angst, Episode Tag, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-21
Updated: 2014-04-22
Packaged: 2018-01-20 04:51:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1497310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angstydaydreams/pseuds/angstydaydreams
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny's a little more hurt than he thought. Needless to say, Maui is not in his immediate future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Danny

**Author's Note:**

> Loved the episode, but thought the whump needed a bit of a fix.  
> Picks up right after Danny and Steve say their ILU's. :)

Danny was confused. 

A second ago he was sure he’d been walking, slowly and painfully, but walking all the same.

Now he was staring straight up into five pairs of worried eyes peering down at him. Steve, Grace, Amber and the two paramedics who’d helped him walk down from the rubble.

Their faces hovered close, too cloyingly close, blocking out the wide expanse of blue overhead. He couldn’t breathe. His vision greyed and for a second he could have sworn he was back down in that hole in the ground, pinned underneath that beam.

He flailed, desperate to get out, to get up.

Steve must have understood the problem because suddenly the faces backed away and the sky opened up overhead.

“Come on buddy, just breathe,” Steve murmured, his hand firmly planted on Danny’s shoulder.

“Danno?” Grace’s voice was querulous in his ear.

“I’m okay,” Danny mumbled, turning his head to try and find his baby and give her a reassuring smile. She tried to give him one back, but when one of the paramedics pulled out his gear and began maneuvering a blood pressure cuff around Danny’s bicep, her smile faltered and her eyes filled with tears. 

Danny caught Amber’s eye and she seemed to understand because she put her arm around the little girl’s shoulder and eased her further away, turning her around so she couldn’t see what the paramedics were doing to her father.

“What happened?” he glanced up at Steve. 

The paramedics were trading numbers over his head, a terse truncated code he couldn’t quite understand. But there was tension in their voices he chose to ignore, concentrating on Steve instead and sticking to his story that it was a flesh wound and he’d be stitched up and home by the time it got dark.

“You fell down,” Steve supplied with a dry grin.

“My stomach cramped up, knees gave out,” Danny suddenly remembered. Remembered too practically taking the two girls down with him as he’d unexpectedly plummeted to the ground.

The medic lifted Danny’s shirt up, exposing the wound in his abdomen. Danny winced as the man’s fingers gently probed around the edges of the makeshift duct tape bandage. “We’re just gonna let the hospital deal with that,” the medic said, glancing at Danny in sympathy as he dropped the shirt back down. 

Danny caught sight of a gurney being trundled towards them just as the medic swept up his hand and began prepping it for an IV.

“Ya know, that’s okay,” Danny struggled to disentangle his arm from the medic’s grip and lever himself up to a sitting position. “I don’t need a ride. I’m sure Amber or Steve can just take me to Urgent Care for some stiches and then I’ll just be on my way and Amber and I will be off for our vacation in Maui.”

“Danny, let them help you, okay?” Steve set his hand back on Danny’s shoulder, pressing down to prevent Danny from wriggling any further upright. “That pain in your gut isn’t going to pass and if you get up you’re just gonna fall right back down. Honestly I’m impressed you stayed upright for as long as you did.”

“No. No. It’s not that bad. I’m fine,” Danny lied, barely containing a groan as white hot pain seared through his lower abdomen. Lips trembling, he felt sweat pop out on his forehead. 

The paramedics’ voices buzzed in his ears. Sharp and urgent. He felt a biting sting in his hand and knew he’d lost the battle to get back up and go to the hospital on his own two feet. He didn’t think it’d been too much to ask to not collapse in front of his daughter, but obviously he’d been wrong. Just one more way that the universe had decided to screw him.

“Danny, listen to me,” Steve soothed, slipping his fingers around the back of Danny’s head. “It’s okay. You’re going to be fine. You did not claw your way out of that rubble only to die up here? You got me?”

Danny shook his head, closing his eyes as a burst of painful laughter bubbled out of him. He’d always known he’d been living on borrowed time. He’d cheated death again and again since that horrible day in September all those years ago, but he’d known eventually it would catch up with him, and he’d leave Grace without a father. It would be nice to see her one last time, but he didn’t want her last image of him to be like this. So he didn’t ask Steve to bring her over, and he hoped to God Steve knew better than to do that to his little girl.

They jostled him when they moved him onto the gurney. He cried out, tears leaking from his eyes. He tried to curl into a ball, but they wouldn’t let him. And the pain sunk its teeth in and tore him apart.

“Danny!”

The last thing he heard was Steve shouting his name. And then there was nothing. Like he’d always known it would be.  



	2. Maddy

Maddy took a breath and pushed open the doors to the waiting room. It was filled with Danny’s people, many of who were still covered from head to toe in concrete dust. This was not the first time she’d delivered an update on Danny’s condition, and if anything she thought there were more people gathered in the waiting area now than before.

All of them looked up, their hushed conversations stilling as they waited expectantly for her to begin speaking. Most of them she didn’t know. But she recognized Danny’s team, his family. Chin and Kono were distracting Grace with some game on their tablet. Steve was sitting alone. His hands folded in his lap, every muscle in his body tense as a bowstring. 

The last time she’d been down here, Danny had just gone into surgery. She’d tried to assure them it was fairly straightforward, but she knew when it was someone you loved, straightforward didn’t mean jack.

She’d been on shift in the ER when Danny was wheeled in, Steve thundering right on the paramedics heels looking as scared as she’d ever seen him. When she stepped in front of him, blocking his entrance into the trauma room, she wasn’t sure for a second if he was going to plow right through her or just sink to the floor in exhaustion and cry.

She didn’t wait to find out. Danny had needed her, so she’d turned her back on him and let the door swing shut in his face.

Grace moved first, launching herself out of Kono’s arms and hesitantly coming to a stop in front of her troop leader, her eyes anxious as she murmured one simple word. “Danno?”

“Hey kiddo,” Maddy dropped to her haunches, settling her gaze directly at the scared child. “Your dad’s in recovery right now, but he came through the surgery just fine. He wanted me to tell you he loves you. And he asked me to give you this.” She leaned forward and dropped a light kiss on Grace’s forehead.

“He’s awake?” Grace asked, her eyes wide with relief. “Can I see him?”

“Well, he was,” Maddy gently ruffled Grace’s fine hair. “He’s asleep now. He’s going to sleep a lot the next few days, give his body a chance to heal.”

The child’s face fell, her lower lip quivering. “But I need to see him,” she said softly, giving a chagrined glance to a pretty brunette sitting alone several chairs away. 

Kono stepped in, snagging Grace’s hand and gently tugging her back to the row of chairs. “You will, Gracie. And in the meantime, your dad knows how much you love him. Believe me, okay? You can stay with me and Chin until your dad’s feeling a little better. How’s that?”

Maddy glanced over at Steve, still sitting rigidly in his chair. Muscles protesting, she pushed herself back upright as he looked up at her, looking entirely like a man about to face his own execution.

She addressed the room before turning her attention to Danny’s partner. 

“Detective Williams made it through surgery just fine and is in serious but stable condition. Thank you all for coming and for supporting his family through this crisis. I’m sure it will make Danny happy to know you were here. However, he won’t be allowed visitors outside of immediate family for at least the next day, so now’s a good time for you all to go home and get some much needed rest.”

Larger duty done, Maddy crooked a finger at Steve, motioning him to a more private corner in the room as the majority of Danny’s visitors slowly began to file out.

“How is he really, Maddy?” Steve asked softly, anxiety straining his voice. 

“The doctor will speak with you shortly, but all things considered he’s doing really well,” Maddy assured him gently. 

“All things considered,” Steve muttered raggedly. He sagged against the wall, his face pale. It looked to Maddy as if he was going to be sick. “How much worse did I make things?” 

“He’s alive Steve,” Maddy cocked her head at him, finally figuring out what had Steve so shaken. “What other options did you think you had?”

“I don’t know!” Steve blurted, his voice rising, carrying through the room. He bit his lip as all eyes were suddenly on him. He shook his head and slumped back against the wall. “I don’t know,” Steve said again, quieter this time. “I shouldn’t have removed the rebar. I shouldn’t have packed that wound with my filthy t-shirt. Jesus Maddy, what the hell was I thinking?”

“What were you thinking? You were trying to keep Danny alive. You want me to yell at you for not following standard first aid protocols?” Maddy glared at him. “Is that what you need? What chance did Danny have if you left that rebar in him? If you hadn’t packed that wound with anything you had just to stop the bleeding?”

Steve shook his head miserably, still looking unconvinced. 

Maddy resisted the urge to smack the former SEAL upside the head. “Danny is alive and eventually he will be back to his usual sassy self. So tell me. What other choice did you have?”

“None,” Steve said, finally meeting Maddy’s eyes.

“So are you done shredding yourself with guilt?” Maddy raised her eyebrows, settling both hands on her hips. “Cause of all the things that Danny needs right now, your guilt over what you had to do to help save his life isn’t one of them.”

Steve scrubbed a hand over his face and nodded. “Okay. You’re right. Of course you’re right. When can I see him?”

“They’re moving him from Recovery to the IMCU right now.”

“IMCU?” Steve asked, puzzled.

“Intermediate care unit,” Maddy supplied. “Danny doesn’t require intensive care, but he’s still in serious condition and needs more attention than he’d receive on a regular floor. I can take you up there, let you talk to his doctor, and then as soon as he’s settled you can take a peek.” 

“Thank you,” Steve squeezed her hand gratefully.

“Maddy? Uncle Steve?” Grace slid off her chair and tentatively approached them. “Please,” she warbled, her large brown eyes filling with tears, “Can I go with you?”

Maddy pulled the child close and rubbed her back. Her thin shoulders trembled. 

“I just need to see him. I…” Grace paused, her cheeks reddening. Her small face twisted as she tried not to burst into tears. But she lost that battle and miserably she covered her face with her hands.

“Grace,” Maddy knelt down. “Children aren’t allowed up in the IMCU. I’m sorry baby.”

“I was mean to him this morning,” Grace whispered plaintively in her ear, her little body shaking with sobs. “Please let me see him. Please. I feel so bad. What if he doesn’t know I love him anymore?” 

Steve knelt down next to them and folded Grace into his arms. “Maybe before she leaves we can see if Danny’s awake and up for a visit?” Steve glanced questioningly up at Maddy, planting a kiss on the top of Grace’s head. 

“Please?” Grace begged Maddy.

“Okay,” Maddy nodded. “But no promises, sweetpea. Okay?”

“Thank you,” Steve said softly. 

Maddy nodded, holding the door open as Steve easily scooped the distraught girl up into his arms.

“I’ll be right there,” Maddy said, motioning them towards the elevator as she stepped aside to make a quick call up to the IMCU to ask them to hold off on administering Danny’s next dose of pain meds and sedatives. Whatever had happened that morning, Grace needed a chance to fix it. Sooner rather than later.


	3. Steve

Steve shifted on his feet, settling more heavily against the doorframe of Danny’s hospital room. He was exhausted. At some point Maddy had tried to wrestle him into a bed, reminding him he had sucked in as much concrete dust as Danny. That he’d had a building fall on top of him too. But Steve had glowered at her. And despite the fact she glowered back, he still refused.

But he was exhausted. And there were no chairs for him to sit in outside of Danny’s cubicle in the IMCU. Which, to be honest, didn’t look all that much different from an ICU. The patient rooms were glass enclosed. The only privacy a curtain that swung around the bed. Though he had to admit it was quieter than most ICU’s he’d been in, less hustle and sense of urgency. And there were noticeably fewer nurses covering more patients.

Grace leaned up against Danny’s bed, more on than off, her body half flung over his. One of Danny’s arms encircled her back. Their conversation was intense, though muted, taking place mostly in hushed tones. He couldn’t make out what they were saying, but eventually the rigidity in Grace’s body relaxed and she dropped her head on her father’s shoulder and began to cry. 

Danny drew slow circles on his child’s back, continuing to whisper in her ear. He looked positively drained, but he didn’t stop until Grace finally dried her eyes and kissed his stubbly cheek. He caught Steve’s eye over the top of Grace’s head and Steve stepped forward, gently tapping the girl on the shoulder.

“All right, Gracie, time to say goodnight. Your dad needs his rest. And so do you. Uncle Chin and Auntie Kono are waiting for you downstairs,” Steve squeezed her hand as she carefully pulled herself from the bed.

“Good night, Danno,” Grace said softly. “I love you.”

“I know baby,” Danny reached up and cupped her cheek with his hand. “I always know. Okay?”

At her nod, Danny dropped his hand to his side, his eyes slipping closed. Steve thought for sure he was out, but within seconds Danny’s eyes snapped open again, his gaze settling somewhere just behind Steve and Grace.

“Hey!” Danny gave Steve a startled glance. “Who let the dog in here?”

“Uh…Danny,” Steve slowly turned around, his eyes sweeping the empty hallway. 

Danny jabbed his finger towards Steve. “If you feed that dog, he’s not going to leave. If he stays, it is entirely your fault.”

Steve stared at his partner, for the first time in a long time at a loss for words. Maybe it was the exhaustion catching up with him. For a second he wondered if he’d passed out and was actually having one of the weirdest dreams in existence. If so, Maddy was going to have a hell of a time reading him the riot act for not listening to her in the first place.

“ _Why_ is that thing _staring_ at me? It’s creepy. And it looks hungry.” Danny fretfully glanced up at Steve. “Does he look hungry to you?” 

“No… He…Danny.” Steve scrubbed a hand over his face, turning to order Grace to go get the doctor when she stepped in front of him and took her father’s hand.

“It’s okay, Danno,” she soothed. “It’s my fault. It’s just Chester from next door.   
I left the door open and he ran inside. Like he does, you know? I’ll just put him out.”

“You need to be more careful about that Gracie. Always close and lock the door behind you,” Danny weakly lifted one hand and shook his finger at her. “You never know who might follow you inside.”

“I know, Danno,” Grace stepped up to the bed and gently planted a kiss on her father’s cheek. “I promise I’ll be more careful next time.”

“See that you do,” Danny caught her hand, squeezing it lightly. “I don’t know what I’d do if anything ever happened to you.”

Grace nodded. She walked to entrance of the cubicle, letting out a low whistle. “Here boy,” she called. “Out. Go home, Chester.”

She waited a moment and then turned back to her father. “There, he’s gone now, Danno.”

“Thanks, Gracie,” Danny sighed.

“Love you Danno,” Grace said.

“Love you too, Monkey,” Danny murmured, mumbling something under his breath as his eyes drifted closed. 

Steve stared at him for a moment, and when he was sure he was down for the count, he gently took Grace’s hand and led her a short distance outside the cubicle.

“Are you okay sweetheart?” Steve crouched down, taking both of her tiny hands in his.

“Yeah.” Grace shrugged.

“You were pretty great just then,” Steve smiled at her. “I’m really proud of you.”

Grace eased herself against Steve’s chest, resting her head on his shoulder. “My friend Riley told me her grandma saw dead people after she had her hip replaced. At least all Danno’s seeing is dogs, right?” 

“Yeah,” Steve chuckled, tousling her hair. “It’s the pain medication-it can really mess with your head, I guess.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Grace maneuvered herself out of Steve’s arms and walked back to the entrance of her father’s cubicle. 

Steve stood up and joined her, resting his hand on her shoulder.

“Uncle Steve?” she asked softly.

“Yeah babe?” Steve responded.

“Is Danno really going to be all right?” She looked up at him, her eyes tremulous.

“There are no guarantees in life, Gracie. You know that by now.” Steve squeezed her shoulder. “But the doctors are doing everything they can for him. And your dad… Well he’s a fighter. He’s not going to give up so easily. If I were to lay odds, I’d choose your dad. Every time.”

Grace nodded before standing up on tiptoe to wrap her arms around Steve’s neck. “I love you Uncle Steve,” she whispered in his ear. “Thank you for always taking such good care of my Danno.”

“I love you too, baby,” Steve bussed her cheek, blinking back the wetness that had sprung to his eyes. “You don’t have to thank me. I’d do anything for him.”

“I know,” Gracie looked up at him and smiled.

Steve swallowed hard. He’d faced down terrorists and endured torture, but that sweet, trusting smile, so full of love, nearly brought him to his knees. 

“Do you think I can come back tomorrow?” Grace asked.

“We’ll see,” Steve gave her shoulder one more squeeze. “I’ll call you in any case and let you know how he’s doing.”

Grace nodded, took one last look at her father, and then turned around and left the room.

Steve sank into the chair next to Danny’s bed. He didn’t know when it had happened. When this man, when that little girl, had become so precious to him. But they had. There was a lot in the world he could live without. But those two people. He knew he couldn’t.

Steve rested his head on his hand and finally let himself drift to sleep.


	4. Danny

Danny drifted in a kind of limbo—awake, he supposed, but not asleep, exactly, either. There was pain, most notably in his belly and in his chest, but it was dull and distant and wasn’t bothering him overmuch. So he was happy to linger there for a while, free for the moment from the vivid dreams that had been dogging his sleep.

Some were merely strange. Like Steve in a conductor’s hat at the wheel of a bullet train, smiling maniacally at Danny as they careened through space at alarming speeds. Typical. Even in his dreams the big oaf wouldn’t let him drive.

But then there were the nightmares. He’d find himself back in that storage unit where Rick Peterson had stashed Grace. Only this time when Steve and Danny got there, they only found Gracie’s lifeless body tied up in the chair. And then there was Wo Fat, smiling at Danny as he put a bullet in Steve’s head, Danny helpless to stop it.

He’d been overcome by terror, rage and a grief so raw he thought he might drown. Frantically he tried to claw his way back to the surface, to wake himself up, but the heavy pain meds just pushed him back down. Trapped in the darkness and haunted by the faces of everyone he’d lost. Of everyone he feared to lose.

His eyes opened of their own accord. He hadn’t meant to wake up. The pain was far sharper on this side of consciousness, but the memories of his narcotic induced dreams made dealing with the pain preferable to sinking back down into the nightmares. 

The room was quiet. The sliding glass door was closed and the privacy curtain was pulled just enough to obscure his vision through the window. He had no idea what time it was. Or come to think of it, what day it was either. It made him feel strangely untethered. And he had a sudden fear that this was all just another dream. That he was doomed to bounce from dreams to nightmares forever. That he was ensnared in a sleep from which he’d never wake.

The sudden panic eased when his eyes lit on Steve, sitting in a chair next to his bed. He was staring off into space, lost in thought. A magazine sat open in his lap and he had a yogurt in his hands.

Danny relaxed against the pillows, watching his completely still partner with a bemused smile. The man was truly a freak of nature. 

Finally Danny cleared his throat and rasped, “Deep thoughts? Or did you actually just fall asleep with your eyes open?”

Steve startled at the sound of Danny’s voice, nearly dropping the yogurt cup and spoon. 

Danny chuckled slightly. It wasn’t often he had the upper hand with Steve. He couldn’t help but enjoy it. Just a little.

“What? Danny! You’re awake!” Steve stammered, quickly recovering and pitching the yogurt remains into the trash. 

“You seriously didn’t move a muscle for like five minutes,” Danny cocked his head on the pillow. “I get that might be a SEAL thing…but I can’t figure out how dripping yogurt on your pants would serve any tactical purpose.”

“What?” Steve frowned, quickly glancing down at his cargos. He cursed softly as he grabbed a tissue and began dabbing at his pants leg.

Danny burst into a peal of laughter as Steve glowered darkly at him. He wished he could get a picture of Steve’s face. He’d frame it and hang it in his office forever.

“Having fun?” Steve asked dryly, retaking his seat and tossing the magazine on the tray table next to the bed.

“Guns and Ammo!” Danny teased as his eyes fell on the cover. “I knew it!”

“You’re the one who gave me the subscription,” Steve reminded him gruffly, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Because I knew you’d love it,” Danny grinned. 

“You know it’s very informative, Danny,” Steve grumped. “Someone has to make sure our gun locker is current.”

“We appreciate your sacrifice, babe,” Danny smiled.

“Uh huh,” Steve shook his head, leaning back in his chair. “So how are you feeling?”

“Okay, I guess,” Danny shifted slightly in bed, grunting slightly at a sharp tug in his side. “So long as I don’t move.”

Steve grimaced sympathetically. “You should go back to sleep, Danny. You need your rest.”

“No,” Danny said quickly. “No that’s okay. I’m not…maybe we could just talk for a bit, okay?”

“Okay,” Steve nodded. He paused for a second and then asked quietly, “Bad dreams?”

Danny nodded, shifting uncomfortably as pain flared again in his side, even sharper this time. Beads of sweat were forming at his temples. He knew he should just take the damn pain meds, but he wasn’t ready to drop back into that rabbit hole. It wasn’t so bad yet he couldn’t handle it.

“The dreams will pass,” Steve assured him softly. 

“I’m fine, Steve,” Danny snapped, clamping down on the moan building in his throat.

“Uh huh,” Steve said drolly. “You’re already squirming and the nurse hasn’t even come in yet to change your dressing. Just wait until she starts poking around in there.”

“Shut up,” Danny bit back a groan.

“I thought you wanted to talk,” Steve flashed an innocent smirk. “Have they told you yet they opted not to close the wound?”

“What?” Danny glanced down at his side. “They left a gaping hole in my stomach?”

“Well no,” Steve said. “Not exactly. I mean they stuffed it full of gauze. But that means every time they change it they have to yank out all the old stuff, clean the wound thoroughly, and then shove a whole new wad of gauze in.”

“Stop talking, Steven,” Danny leveled a stony glare at him, stabbing a finger in his direction. “Just. Stop. Jesus. I did not need to know that. God, I hate you.” 

“You can’t avoid sleep, Danny,” Steve said intently, leaning forward to touch Danny’s arm. “And if the dreams don’t stop, please consider talking to someone. I mean maybe you should consider talking to someone anyway, you know?”

“Who do you talk to Steve?” Danny glanced up, his eyes soft. 

Steve shrugged, his eyes falling. “Touche,” he murmured. “I guess you’ll just need to learn from my mistakes.” 

Danny slowly nodded. Too out of it to push the point, he filed it away to be dealt with later. 

“Can you…?” Danny motioned towards the pain medication pump that was just out of reach.

When Steve put it in his hand, Danny rested his thumb on top of the plunger and looked up at his best friend. “Will you stay for a while?” he asked.

“Sure,” Steve nodded. “For as long as you need.”

“Thanks,” Danny said, pressing down to release the medication into his IV. He felt it begin working almost immediately, the world going soft around the edges. 

“Always,” Steve squeezed Danny’s wrist. “I love you man. I’ll always be here for you. You know that, right?”

Danny nodded, letting out a small sigh. “There’s no one I’d rather be trapped under a building with than you, Steven.”

“Same,” Steve laughed softly. “Go to sleep, okay?”

“Love you too, Steve,” Danny slurred. And then he was drifting again. But even though he couldn’t see Steve anymore, he could feel him. His steady presence at his side. Like always. 

Two times the universe hadn’t screwed him. Giving him Grace. And giving him Steve. 

It was enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Virtual hugs and chocolate to @_fangirlishness and @the_eumelia for beta-ing this for me. Thank you darlings!! <333


End file.
